how to write a script

1. writing for video vs. for print

Writing for video ad is very different from writing for print materials (white paper, product sheet, brochure). A common mistake when writing for video is to directly copy product features from print materials. Video scripts are more than a list of facts and claims praising the product or services. Instead, a good video script tells a story which is told in consumer's language and appeal to their emotions. Never sell a product or service. Always sell a concept, such as the product's positioning, the big idea, the unique selling proposition. To do that, follow these steps:

  • During the research phase, gather information from Seismic, product sheet, white paper, brochure, webpages.

    • Study the product: Ask yourself what makes the product tick? How does it fit into people's lives? What's its personality in the market place?

  • Find the big idea.

    • The ad will have two parts: what you're saying and how you're saying it. The "what" is your strategy, the big idea and the selling argument. Ask yourself what's the biggest thing at stake. What's the highest physical and psychological fulfillment your product/service brings?

  • Translate features into benefits.

    • Try to promise benefits, not just list product features/attributes. Ask yourself what consumers will get out of your product. Ask of any product feature, "so what", "who cares", "what's the payoff"?

2. the brand voice and message

Our brand voice guides how we speak and write, whatever we’re talking about. It creates a unique tone for our brand that will help us stand out. It also makes our brand consistent, so people will recognize us whenever and however we’re communicating with them. Our brand persona is an Expedition Leader who is smart, inquisitive, resourceful, confident and optimistic. Please click here to learn more about our brand voice and to access the writing tools that will help you write in the brand voice.

Our main brand message is: powering opportunities to create a better tomorrow. As a brand, we believe:

  • Data is central to how we all live. It has the potential to transform all our lives for the better.

  • It all starts with data. But it’s really what we enable that matters the most. At Experian, we unlock the power of data to create opportunities, improve lives and make a difference to society.

  • It’s how we can help that sets us apart. We place the power of data and our expertise in the hands of our customers creating opportunities and helping them plan for a better future with confidence.

  • How we work is as important as what we do. We treat everyone fairly and their data with respect. We work with integrity, always.

3. point of view

The point of view refers to who the protagonist is, the hero of the story. A well-written script should sound like it's coming from a person — whether from the company, the consumer or both. Otherwise, the video could come across as cold and detached.

Be the company — Most ads use first person (we, our) and second person (you, your) to keep things personal, in the form of "We, the brand, speak warmly with you, the consumer, about your needs and how we can fulfill them."

Be the client/consumer — Don't address the viewers, become them. Climb inside their heads and see things their way instead of making nice corporate talk.

4. the proven story structure

A story consists of a protagonist goes up against an antagonist (can be a situation) and arrives at a solution. Know your brand, product, targeted audience and competitors, then think how the ad can become a story instead of just a claim.

Beginning — Open the story with an unbalanced situation. Set the conflict in motion. Make the first several sentences compelling to hold the viewer's attention. It's crucial for the viewer to agree with you in the first several sentences. You can do it by directly talking about their pain point.

Middle — The middle is where you add in the selling points. Translate features into benefits. Don’t make claims or praise the product. Just tell how the product helps consumers solve their problems and how. Try to be specific using details.

End — Check if the ending echoes the beginning. Looking for something bigger - the big idea, the theme. Climb the Maslow's ladder by relating the tiny, constricted world clients live in to the larger, sunnier world people actually care about. Search for the highest possible benefit you can make about the product. Don’t forget to add a call to action at the very end.

5. word choices

Video scripts need to be simple and conversational. Use the words that the consumer could relate to. Speak in their language.

Keep it simple — As the late, great James Baldwin said, "You want to write a sentence as clean as a bone." Continue to edit after the first draft. Tighten and sharpen your copy, and never waste words.

Write with nouns and verbs — When you focus on nouns and verbs, your script will be stronger. Only nouns and verbs run sentences. Verb hustle, weep, surprise, tear, shimmer and shine. Use simple yet strong verb. Think about the connotation the word carry. Remove "is-ness" (is, are, will be, were, has been...) which is a boring, colorless and action-less verb, just an equal sign. Click here to access a list of good verbs to use in video.

Prefer the loose style — Keep sentence short and simple. Recast the sentences that take too long to say. Keep subjects and their corresponding verbs together, and put them early in the sentence. Add modifiers later, either to the end of the sentences, or in sentence fragments that follow. Mix long sentences with short ones to create a good rhythm. Please check out script excerpts from two animated branding videos by Ordinary Folk.

“When they said, you can’t create a custom website without knowing how to code. We said, challenge accepted. And just like that, people like you, designers, creatives, visionaries were building professional grid, world-class websites with Webflow, and without code ... By seeing, solving, moving, and building without a single line of code ... Welcome to a new era of no-code, powered by Webflow.”

— A New Era of No-Code from the Webflow

“When five engineers launched a company named SAP, their plan was simple: listen to the customer and equip them to succeed. Empathy first, math second ... We will create software that detects, predicts, and responds to each user’s individual needs ... At SAP, we are developing new ventures and technologies that will improve the world a decade from now. And we are doing it today.”

— A branding video from SAP

6. summary

  • Speak directly to your audience and refer to them as “you”. This helps engage your audience more effectively.

  • Write in a way that’s easy to understand and conversational.

  • Detail is the king. Make sure the writing is full of specifics; it’s particular, not vague..

  • Keep it brief. A one-minute video has approximately 135 words. Share your central message in as few words as possible. Fewer, well-chosen words generally carry more impact.